New Beginnings By Liz Stokes

I’ve been a salon owner now for over 12 years, starting out in a tiny studio wanting to change the industry. I had worked for a few “bad bosses”, knew what I didn’t like about the industry, and had a dream to change it.

I had always believed even as a young apprentice that the one thing we do as hairdressers that no one else can do in a short time frame is change people’s lives. It’s a magical thing we do. When I decided to open my first store, my intentions were clear, to make my guests feel amazing and to create a legacy of making people feel better. 12 years on, I’m still doing that, in ways I’d never ever dreamt of back then.

However, it hasn’t always been glitter and rainbows…

The end of 2018 and 2019 was the time my life and career would change forever. At the height (or so I thought) of my career and business success, I had opened 4 salons and had a huge team.

Loving life and loving my Job, I had my first heart attack 3 weeks before Christmas.

I struggled with many hurdles including being taunted and sexually harassed by people I depended on in leadership roles, staff not exactly doing the right thing, my family screaming for my love, travelling at all hours and times of the day to keep the peace in each place, and my heart constantly having issues. I’d drop (hypotension blackouts) at least a few times a week for the duration of that entire year.

I lost my spark, and I lost the ability to lead, worst of all my marriage suffered and so did my 3 gorgeous girls. No doubt with the amount of stress I was under trying to juggle everything, stay the strong entrepreneur I was, not let anyone else take what I’d worked for, and try my best to stay afloat and be there for my family… What a mess hey!

This whole time I thought I needed to stay in control, I needed to stand strong and hide how I really felt, (lost, scared, broken, uncertain, unloved) so many horrible feelings, yet I spent my whole career and life making others feel good. I absolutely pretended everything was okay, when so many around me knew I wasn’t.

Long story short, I had been trying so hard to keep ‘the dream’ alive… and then that day happened, the one I barely ever talk about… Turns out, that day was to be one of the best days of my life! Why? Because that’s when the weight lifted, that’s when I saw the brightest light and I began a new journey to find myself and my love, and that’s when I found my health and happiness was the most important thing to look after. That’s when I saw that little 19-year-old self again, and I realised something! She was still here, more than that …SHE WAS BACK!

I changed my whole lifestyle, and I found a new happy place. One in which I will never give away the magic. My place, The Hidden Hare - Hair Wellness.

I found the time to work and live. I think they call that ‘balance’. I have time now to watch my babies grow and be a good wife to the most amazing man a girl could wish for and still create an energy to teach and learn every day and do what I love.

Let me explain “The Hidden Hare – Hair Wellness” (my happy place)

Hidden – Escape from those things that we need to be away from at times – to our happy space that not everyone knows about – it’s like a little secret oasis that’s just ours!

Hare – The Rabbit (I was born the year of the rabbit) A Hare resembles so many things. Change and strength plus new beginnings and freedom, as well as nature and wellness. Cruelty free and super powerful. Hair Wellness – Wellness is in everything I do. A holistic approach to hairdressing using only high-performance natural goodness made from plants and flowers by Aveda.

This salon isn’t just your average salon – it’s a place to escape, to breath in the natural goodness, and to love yourself in ways of true selfcare and enrich your journey a bit at a time by the services we offer.

While I believe in self-worth it is important and we need to see ourselves as heroes, we also need a few caped crusaders along the way.

Young me, looked up to my parents, although I really haven’t told them enough. I have seen pain through their eyes. Seeing my Mum and Dad struggle financially, having 7 great but crazy children (2 with autism and another with muscular difficulties). They have fought sickness and been through the most horrible situations but the one thing they never neglected to show us was Love. For that I will forever be grateful. For that, no matter what situation I face in my life, I still hold so much love in my heart. Dianne & Gerald, you are my heart.

Then, there were a few people in my career I absolutely admire and could call heroes!

Suzanne Ross - My apprenticeship days were tough wearing high heels every day and playing “Dress up Doll” to my boss Suz (She was this woman that reminded me of The Devil Wears Prada). She had this energy of height and a tough exterior of strength and wisdom, inside the softest loving person ever (even though you never actually saw it – you knew when she was proud) This woman showed me the values of standing up, not being the “poor little” girl, I was, but instead, to be able to step into anyone’s shoes and be “proud and strong.” Sounds funny when I read this back, but she taught me how to “fake it till I made it” but also to make sure I scrubbed in between the tiles with a toothbrush! Because of her guidance, I found the ability to be whomever I needed to be, for whomever I needed to be there for. Don’t get me wrong here – I don’t fake anything. I am me and that’s it, however she gave me some of the best guidance in my whole career and I will always be proud of the time I spend with her.

Sometimes life gives us opportunities to grow and learn in ways that bring love and light to our lives – Aveda gives me that. The support and love by the team (in particular Mathew and Mimi) brings an absolute wholeness to my life with our shared love for the products we use every day as well as the support and training they bring to my staff and myself to grow our business to the next level. They keep us motivated, treat us with good products and spoil us with new stuff while providing holistic love and wellness.

Julie Piantadosi is another one of my hero’s. This woman moves mountains and creates magic where there is darkness. For several years I’ve had Julie as my coach and mentor, prior to that I just watched and listened in awe. She is someone that is so special not only to me, but hairdressers and business owners all over. She is not only my accountability coach, but someone who pushes me to do better, believe better and continue to grow but also, to be a better me. I was with her in Bali when Covid took its hold on our earth, that day I watched her bring the level of madness of 150 hair and beauty professional stress heads to a relaxing halt, knowing we were there with her, and together. She is one of the most magical people I know and I feel so grateful to call her my friend and mentor.

Leadership and Philosophies

My mission is to make an environment for people to grow, to learn, to be better and feel better. Whether it be a staff member or a one-time guest – everyone who walks into my walls are super important to me, and I want to help them in their journey. That is my mission. To leave a legacy of love and wellness while creating beautiful hair and memoires. My leadership style is to grow the people around me and helpsthem up. You know the saying “grow them to leave but treat them so well they want to stay” that’s my leadership. I want everyone to grow, learn and love what they do – even if it means they take over me and be better then me. That is magic right there!

Staff

We all know there is good and there is different – but if you think about it carefully, not everyone belongs in your circle, some stay for a minute, some for a while, and some forever – and I see that ring true in the way staff come and go. Right now, I am growing and teaching two amazing young women in their hairdressing apprenticeship. They both started with me at similar times and have by far made me the proudest leader ever. I love watching them become amazing hairdressers, and as they reach halfway through their apprenticeship, I find myself wanting to hire two more and expand their knowledge to teach the younger team under them as well. And so on and so on... It’s about creating my own little leadership pattern and network. What a dream. This is the stuff our industry needs right now – apprentices shown love, lead well, taught thoroughly, so we can watch them recreate what we did for them, for others – THAT’S LEADERSHIP.

Right at this moment, I have one small salon and two apprentices, but as I write and dream of the future, I realise something special – while finding myself through the hurt and battles that were before now, I am stronger and wiser and won’t settle for anything less than what makes me happy. And with that, I announce that I am moving to slightly bigger premises to allow room to teach. An amazing salon suite downstairs and a second level to train and become a mentor for young people in my area. A passion that started with my hairdressing career but now a determination to help others grow. I’m going to help as many people as I can, become a better version of themselves, a better leader in their own time, and give them the guidance and understanding to create their own pathway on their journey to success. Wherever that may be. This is my new legacy.

So, who am I?

I am Liz Stokes, I believe peace, love and leadership are things we need to learn. I am no expert, I am still an apprentice in life, learning everyday myself, but through my past experiences, and the love that surrounded me to get through, I believe I am worthy and look forward to helping so many amazing people do what I do now. Learn, live, hold love, share love, teach and be alive in all moments present! To be an amazing Mum, wife, and leader in all the things I do, and all the places I go, and to leave a legacy of love, understanding and commitment to help all that cross my path, and most importantly – Myself!

If I had to share one thing I’ve learnt, it’s to be humble and keep within your vision. Do not let anyone else bully you into a vision that doesn’t suit you. I may have learnt the hard way and you may have seen me fail – but finding my way back to who I am has by far brought me to the best life possible and a future of things I can’t wait to learn…

WATCH THIS SPACE!